Rotary engine.



No. 758,32Lf .PATBNTBD APR.26,.1904.'

M. aiment. ROTARY ENGINE, n

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RTARY ENGINE.

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VNo. '/5,321. PATENTBD APR. 26, 1904.

M. E. KNIGHT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

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UNITED STATEs ratentec'l Apri126, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. v

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of ,Letters Patent No. 758,321, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed October 21, 1903.

.To a/ZZ whomf it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARGARET E. KNIGHT, of South Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to rotary engines. In the larger part of the great number and variety of engines of this class heretofore pat- 'ented excessive friction between the lmoving parts and undue leakage of steam have been the prime objections and diiculty in the attainment of practical success, and this invention relates to improvements tending to overcome these objections; and it consists in an encircling steam cylinder supported upon journals. at its ends, as also the inclosed piston hub or cylinder, the latter eccentrically within the steam-cylinder and causing both to revolve at the same speed, and, further, in supporting the pistons or steam-abutments which project through the hub in the heads of the steam-cylinder and providing means whereby the pistons may move. laterally a short distance substantially equal to the maximum clearance between the periphery of the hub and the interior of the steam-cylinder.

In the drawings forming a part of this speci- -iication, Figure l is a plan view of the engine with certain portions of the casing and steaml valve broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal' section in a plane passing through the axes ofshafts of twin engines--that is, on line 2 Q, Fig. 3. 'Fig. 3 is a Vertical cross-section of the twin engines on line 3 3, Fig. 2, looking from left to right.V Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on line 4 4:, Fig. 2, looking from left to right. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 are diagrams showing the relative positions of the cylinder, the hub, and the pistons at four dierent points during one revolution. Fig. 9 is an elevation of the right-hand end of the engine as shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. l() is an elevation of the left-hand end.

Apair of engines is illustrated in the drawings, and referring to the parts in detail, A is the inclosing casing; B, roller-bearings in lsurface of each ringl the casing for the cylinders C, within which are eccentrically placed cylindrical piston- Serial 510.177,92?. (No modal.)

.hubs D, hung upon hollow -shafts E, which have fixed bearings in the frame of the engine. pair of steam-ports F F', each pair arranged in: positions counter-symmetrical to the other and the ports of each pair substantially diametrically of the hub. Coincident with the inner ends of each pair of these ports F a slot E is cut in the hollow shaft E one-half way through it and from opposite sides at the respective ends. The circumferential area of the ports F F at the surface of the shaft Eis equal to one-quarter of the circumference of that shaft, so that as the -hub D revolves each of the ports' F F is open to one, of the slots E in the shaft E during three-quarters of each revolution.

Within the cylindrical ends of the hubs D are rings Gr, to which are secured the diametrically opposite radial pistons H.l These pistons, which are of the same length as the hubs. extend through slots therein, and their outer edges have a bearing in Hat-bottom grooves O', which extend longitudinally of the interior of the cylinders C. Also attached to the outer G are featherscGr, arranged diametrically opposite to one another and at right angles to the diametrical plane Near either end of each hub D are a of the pistons H. These feathers project into radial grooves I in each end of the cylinders C, so that as these cylinders are turned by the pressure of steam against the projecting ends of the pistons H the feathers G', in engagement with the grooves I, will cause the rings G to turn in unison therewith, and at the same time the projecting pistons H, also secured to the rings Gr, will cause the hubs D to turn. Thus as the two cylinders rotate at the same speed and each upon its own axis the hub D will reciprocate over the ends of the pistons H and the feathers G', carried by the rings G, will slidevbaclr and forth in the grooves I once during each rotation of the engine; but as the pistons H are rigidly attached to the rings G and the distance between their outer edges remains constant it becomes necessary to provide the grooves C', the planes of the bottoms of which are tangent to the curve of the ,interior of the cylinmum movement of the rings Gr plus the thickness of the pistons H. It will be seen, therefore, that the edges of the pistons have but a very small movement over the interior of the cylindrical chamber C, and such movement is slow as compared with the speed of rotation y of the engine, thus greatly reducing the power lost in overcoming the friction of sliding surfaces. In Figs. 5 to 8 are shown the relative positions assumed by the moving parts of the engine at four points in a rotation, and during each rotation the axis of rotation of the ring G revolves in a small circle around the axis of the cylinder C.

Steam is supplied to the engines at one endv or the other through the pipes K, connected with cylindrical chambers L, which terminate at their inner ends in an enlarged chamber L. Within this combined chamber is a tubular sliding valve M, the ends of which are serrated or cut awayat an angle of about forty-live degrees one -half way through the tube and at opposite angles upon opposite sides, thus forming angular ports M. N ear' each end of the portion of the casing A which surrounds the chambers L is an enlargement which forms an annular passage N around each chamber L, and coincident with each of these annular passages a triangular port P or one varying in circumferential area is formed in the chambers L. Then when the sliding valve M is moved longitudinally or in the direction of its axis within the chambers L.by

means of a handle O, attached to that valve.y and which may slide in a slot A2 in the casing:

L,one or the other of the angular ports l will be made to overlap a port P more or less, as desired, and thus admit steam toone of the annular passages N, and thence through pipes Q Q to the hollow shafts E, and from there through the ports E' F to the steam-space between the cylinder C and hub D, When the ports M at one end of the valve M are open to admit steam to the engine through the passage N andpipes Q, the ports M at the other endof the valve M are closed and steam is exhausted vfrom the cylinders C through the ports F E and vthe hollow shafts E at that end, and from the shafts E the exhaust passes through the pipe Q at, the same end out of the valve R, which should be opened for the purpose, While the valve R at the opposite or steam-inlet end should be closed.

The tubular sliding valve M is caused to rotate by means of a small gear S, secured thereon, which gear meshes with a gear S/ upon the exterior of the cylinder C. As illustrated, the proportions of the gears S and S are as two to one.

T is a pulley on the bearing of one of the cylinders C for transmitting power.

For the purpose of preventing friction between the tubular shafts E and the bearings of the hubs D thereon caused by unequal pressure of steam at the ports E small ports or openings E2 of one-half the size of the ports `E' are made in the shafts E upon the side thereof opposite to the ports E and one upon each side of those ports. (See Fig. 2.)

Two engines are shown constructed as above described placed side by side and geared together and having the eccentricity of the hubs D opposite in the two cylinders. This is done to gain power and obviate side vibration. It will be understood that a single engine of the same construction may be used when desired.

I claiml. In a rotary engine, the combination of an exterior rotary cylinder upon fixed bearings, a rotary piston-hub eccentrically supported upon a hollow shaft within the cylinder, steam inlet and exhaust ports in the shaft and hub, and pistons which extend radially through the peripheral portion of the hub and which are independently supported in the said cylinder and are adapted to move laterally therein when the cylinder and hub revolve.

2. In a rotary engine, a rotary piston-hub and rotary circumjacent cylinder supported eccentrically to each other upon independent bearings, pistons disposed in radial slots in the hub and provided with independent supports capable of automatic movement laterally of the plane ofthe pistons, which supports engage the circumscribing cylinder and control its rotation, and ports and passages in the hub and its bearing to admit steam to and exhaust it from the chambers upon the respective sides of thepistons between the hub and cylinder.

3. In a rotary engine, a rotary cylinder, a rotary piston-hub, therein, each upon fixed bearings eccentric one to the other, pistons with their outer edges yin Contact with the cylinder and adapted to move in radial slots in the hub, independent supports for the pistons, and engaging means between the supports and the cylinder. which cause the latter to rotate with the pistons and to reciprocate the supports diametrically of the cylinder in a 'direction at right angles to the plane of the pistons, when the engine rotates.

4. In a rotary engine, a rotary cylinder, a rotary piston hub therein, each supported upon fixed bearings eccentric one to the other, radial pistons in slots in the hub, independent rings to Asupport the pistons, splines and grooves to connect the rings and cylinderheads, and :longitudinal slots in the cylinder to receive the outer edges of the pistons and permit them to move in planes tangent to its interior curve of the cylinder.

5. In a rotary engine, a pair of cylinders connected lto rotate in unison, a pair of rotary piston-hubs arranged in counter-eccentric positions in the respective cylinders, radial pistons in engagement with the interior of the IOO cylinders and over which the hubs reciprocate cause lone or the other of its serrated ends to when the engine rotates. 1 d l register with one of the ports in the case.

6. In a rotary engine, a rotary ey in rica. f 1 valve, provided With serrations at its ends, en MARGARET L' KNIGHT' 5 inelosing valve-ease provided with ports.` of Witnesses:

varying' circumferential area., and means to R. L. ROBERTS, adjust the valve in the direction of its axis to F. A. COLLINS. 

